SEPA’s Sharon Allan to Retire

The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) today announced the upcoming retirement of Sharon Allan

After a 38-year career, Sharon Allan, chief strategy officer of SEPA, will step down April 22nd.

“On behalf of the SEPA board, our executive team, our 1100+ members, and our employees, I extend our deepest gratitude to Sharon for her profound impact on SEPA, particularly in shaping SEPA’s business model and growing our advisory services offering. She also contributed to advancing SEPA’s strategy and capabilities to support our clients in their transition to reach their carbon goals,” said Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA. “During her tenure at SEPA, we all benefited from Sharon’s wisdom, support, and positive influence. It is bittersweet to lose her.”

Allan started her career with DuPont at the Savannah River Nuclear facility near Aiken, SC in 1984 as an electrical engineer. DuPont then brought her to North Carolina in 1986 to be part of the startup of DuPont Electronics in Research Triangle Park. North Carolina became home, and Allan spent her career in various leadership roles: IBM(PartnerInfo), ABB(Chief Knowledge Officer), Elster(President), Accenture(Managing Director), Smart Grid Interoperability Panel(CEO), and the Smart Electric Power Alliance(Chief Strategy Officer).

“It has been an absolute honor to serve SEPA and support this industry over the years,” Allan said. “Enormous thanks go out to the utility, government, national lab, solution provider, university, and our employee teams who have accomplished so much over the past decades. My family and I are looking forward to our next chapter in life, but our lives have forever been positively impacted by the many talented individuals I have had the opportunity to work with.”

Allan also serves as an advisor and board member outside SEPA. She is a member of the advisory board of EnerTech Capital, a firm focused on investing in startups, early, mid, late, to expansion stage investments, and growth-stage ventures. She was an independent board director for Electro-Mechanical, LLC, a manufacturer of electrical apparatus and headquartered in Bristol, VA, up through the sale to Graycliff Partners, LP last year. She also serves on the NC Greenpower Board, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in NC supporting renewable energy, carbon offset projects and providing grants for solar installations at K-12 schools.

“Many of us in industry will miss Sharon as she is one talented and dedicated woman, and I wish her the best in her much deserved retirement.” Mary Kipp, past chair of SEPA Board and CEO of Puget Sound Energy.

“We wish Sharon many new adventures in retirement but selfishly hope she will not totally disconnect. Her impacts on our industry are felt broad and wide, most recently in many areas of transition where innovation is rapidly emerging to enable both industry incumbents and new entrants to pursue new and exciting opportunities as the industry embraces a pathway to zero carbon and ZEV transportation.” Scott Ungerer, SEPA member and founder & managing partner of EnerTech Capital.